Garter grips



Dec. 21, 1965 w, JONAS 3,224,063

GARTER GRIPS Filed June 22, 1964 INVENTOR. MA 727? M. J0/v45 rmen/[y United States Patent 3,224,063 GARTER GRIPS Walter M. Jonas, Easton, Pa, assignor to Silhro Products Corp, Long Island City, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed June 22, 1964, Ser. No. 376,693 1 Claim. (Cl. 24-245) This invention relates generally to garter grips for girdles, corsets, garter belts and the like.

Garter grips of a type that are presently most widely used include a rigid frame having an attaching portion defining a slot for receiving a loop of elastic or other tape by which the frame is detachably or permanently secured to the lower edge of the girdle, corset or other foundation garment, and further having a gripping portion defining a key-hole shaped opening, and a tab portion having a flexible web adapted to be secured, at one end, to the frame, and carrying a button or stud at its other end which is releasably engageable in the key-hole shaped opening of the frame for securing a stocking to the garter grip in the usual manner.

In most existing garter grips of the described character, the frame thereof is formed of metal which affords sufiicient rigidity to the frame to avoid flexing of the latter under conditions of normal use. However, garter grip frames formed of metal are relatively expensive and have to be painted, enameled or otherwise coated to avoid rusting or corrosion thereof. The existing coatings intended to avoid rusting or corrosion are not entirely effective for that purpose in that the coatings frequently chip or peel and expose the underlying metal, particularly when subjected to repeated laundering, thereby destroying the protective function of the coating and also detracting from the appearance of the fastener.

Attempts have been made to employ plastics in fabricating garter grip frames having the described configuraation in order to take advantage of the known properties of plastcs, namely, the reduction in the cost of manufacture inherent in the injection moulding of plastic articles and the permanent corrosion resistance of frames formed of plastics without the necessity of providing a protective coating which may chip or peel. However, such previous attempts to form garter grip frames of the described character from plastics have not been wholly successful in that, by reason of the inherent resilience of available plastics, the sides of the gripping portion of the frame which define the key-hole shaped opening therebetween, and hence are free of each other over substantial lengths, do not adequately resist lateral flexing away from each other and thus permit the button or stud of the tab portion to ride upwardly in the key-hole shaped opening and inadvertently release the grip on the stocking, particularly when body movements of the wearer tend to relax the downward pull or tension on the garter grip.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide garter grips of the described character having frames that are moulded or otherwise formed of plastic, and which are shaped to prevent inadvertent release of the gripping action on a stocking, even when the tension or pull on the garter grip is relaxed.

In accordance with an aspect of this invention, the frame of a garter grip moulded of a plastic, for example, superpolyoxymethylene having a molecular weight of at least 15,000 which is commercially available under the trademark Delrin, has the sides of its gripping portion which defines a key-hole shaped opening formed with protruberances extending into such opening from the opposite sides thereof to restrict the communication between the relatively narrow slot-shaped lower part of the key-hole shaped opening and the generally circular upper part of the opening. Thus, when the stud or button of the tab portion of the garter grip is engaged with a stocking and pressed downwardly past the proturberances into the slot-shaped or retaining part of the opening, such proturberances resist upward movement of the button or stud within the key-hole shaped opening and thereby prevent inadvertent release of the stocking, even when the tension or pull on the garter grip is relaxed.

Detachable garter grips have been employed increasingly because of their many advantages, for example, the possibility of removing the garter grip from the girdle or other foundation garment when the latter is worn without stockings. In existing detachable garter grips, the slot for receiving the loop of elastic or other tape for attaching the frame of the garter grip to the garment is defined by a bar extending across one end of the frame and being integrally joined to the remainder of the frame only at one end of the bar so that the slot defined between the bar and the adjacent end of the frame has an opening at one end through which the loop of elastic or other tape can be removably inserted. Since the bar which transmits the load to the elastic or other loop is connected, only at one of its ends, to the remainder of the garter grip frame, such load creates relatively high stresses at the connection between the bar and the remainder of the frame so that it has been heretofore necessary to form the frame of detachable garter grips of a metal having the requisite strength to resist the indicated high stresses.

Accordingly, it is a further object of this invention to provide a detachable garter grip having a frame of the described character which is arranged so as to permit the moulding or other formation thereof from existing high-strength plastics, thereby to attain the previously indicated advantages of such materials.

In accordance with another aspect of this invention, the plastic frame of a detachable garter grip has the attaching portion at the top thereof formed with a generally laterally directed slot opening only at one side of the frame to form a lateral bar above the slot which is connected to the remainder of the frame only at the other side of the latter, and such slot is offset laterally toward the side of the frame at which the slot opens with respect to the longitudinal medial line of the frame, whereby the connection of the lateral bar to the remainder of the frame can be made relatively wide for conveniently accepting the applied loads when a loop of elastic or other tape engages the lateral bar for connecting the garter grip to a foundation garment.

In accordance with another feature of this invention, the lateral bar has an arcuate lower edge which is shaped so that a tangent to the arcuate lower edge at the lowest point of the latter is inclined downwardly toward the side of the frame at which the slot opens with respect to perpendicular to the longitudinal medial line of the frame, whereby the center of the stud or button of the tab of the garter grip, when disposed at the bottom of the keyhole shaped opening of the frame will tend to lie immediately under the center of the loop of elastic or other tape by which the garter grip is attached to a garment for avoiding twisting of the garter grip when a load is applied thereto.

The above, and other objects, features and advantages of this invention, will be apparent in the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof which is to be read in connection with the accompanyig drawing forming a part hereof, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a detachable garter grip embodying this invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 22 on FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged elevational view of the frame of the garter grip of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 44 on FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of another garter grip embodying this invention, and which is of a type intended to be permanently attached to a girdle, corset or other foundation garment; and

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the frame included in the garter grip of FIG. 5.

Referring to the drawing in detail, and initially to FIG. 1 thereof, it will be seen that a garter grip embodying this invention, and there generally identified by the reference numeral 10, includes a one-piece frame 11 moulded or otherwise formed of a rigid plastic material, preferably Delrin, that it, super-polyoxyrnethylene having a molecular weight of at least 15,000, and a relatively flexible tab portion 12.

As is particularly apparent on FIG. 3, the one-piece plastic frame 11 has a gripping portion 13 defining a key-hole shaped opening 14 that includes a relatively wide, generally circular upper part 15 and a relatively narrow lower part 16 extending downwardly from, and communicating with the upper part 15. Extending upwardly from the gripping portion 13 of frame 11 is an attaching portion 17 having two vertically spaced apart, laterally directed slots 18 and 19 which are each closed at their opposite ends and centered or symmetrically located with respect to the longitudinal medial line 20 of frame 11. The spaced slots 18 and 19 define a laterally extending bar 21 therebetween which, at its opposite ends, is joined to both sides of the frame.

The garter grip 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, inclusive, is intended to be detachably connected to a girdle, corset or other foundation garment by means of a loop 22 of elastic or other tape which is stitched or otherwise permanently secured to the lower edge of the foundation garment. In order to provide for disengagement of the frame 11 from the loop 22, thereby to permit detachment of the garter grip from the foundation garment, the attaching portion 17 of frame 11 further has a laterally directed slot 23 (FIG. 3) spaced upwardly from the slot 19 and opening only at one side of the frame, as at 24. Since the slot 23 opens only at one side of the frame, the part of the attaching portion 17 above slot 23 forms a lateral bar having a connection 26 to the remainder of the frame only at the side of the latter remote from the opening 24.

In accordance with this invention, the lateral slot 23 is spaced substantially down from the top edge of the garter grip, and such slot further has its center offset laterally by a substantial distance d from the longitudinal medial line 20 of the frame in the direction toward the side of the frame at which the opening 24 of slot 23 is located. By reason of this offset positioning of the slot 23, the connection 26 extending from one end of bar 25 to the remainder of frame 11 can be provided with a substantial width w so as to easily accept the loads transmitted therethrough upon engagement of the loop 22 with the bar 25 even though the frame is formed of a plastic material. Further, the substantial width w of the connection 26 is achieved While providing the slot 23 with a lateral dimension sufficient to accept the width of the loop 22, and without the necessity of undesirably increasing the overall lateral dimension of the attaching portion 17 of the frame.

It will further be apparent from FIG. 3 that, in accordance with this invention, the lower edge 27 of bar 25 preferably is formed as the arc of a circle and that a tangent 28 to the arcuate edge 27, at the bottom of the latter, is inclined downwardly by the angle a toward the side of the frame 11 having the opening 24 with respect to a perpendicular 29 to the longitudinal medial line 20 of the frame.

The lower edge 30 of slot 23 is upwardly convex, and the free end of bar 25 has a downturned nose 31 which narrows the opening 24 and extends below the highest point on the edge 30. Thus, when the loop 22 is inserted through opening 24 into slot 23, as indicated on FIG. 1, the downturned nose 31 prevents inadvertent removal of the loop 22 from slot 23 upon relaxation of the load on the garter grip.

The tab 12 of garter grip 10 includes a flexible web 32 having a wedge-like bar 33 extending across one end of the web and a button or stud 34 projecting from the other end portion of the web. The web 32 may be formed of a fabric tape, while the bar 33 and button 34 are of rubber moulded onto the ends of the web. In assembling together the plastic frame 11 and tab 12 to form the garter grip 10, the end of web 32 hearing the Wedge-like bar 33 is passed forwardly through slot 19 of the frame and then rearwardly through slot 18, whereupon, as shown on FIG. 2, the bar 33 exerts a wedging action between the bar 21 and the adjacent end of the gripping portion 13 of frame 11 to avoid inadvertent separation of tab 12 from the frame. With the web 32 of tab 12 lying in back of frame 11, button or stud 34 of the tab is engaged with a stocking and then extended forwardly into the relatively wide upper part 15 of key-hole shaped opening 14, whereupon the button is moved downwardly into the relatively narrow lower part 16 of the opening for securing the stocking to the garter grip.

By reason of the described inclination of the tangent 28 to the bottom edge 27 of bar 25, the frame 11 hangs from loop 22 in a canted position so as to locate button 34 immediately below the center of loop 22 even though slot 23 is laterally offset.

As shown, the button or stud 34 preferably has a circular head with a diameter substantially greater than the width of the relatively narrow lower part 16 of the opening, but smaller than the diameter of the relatively wide, substantially circular upper part 15, of opening 14. Further, the connection 35 (FIG. 4) between the head of button 34 and the adjacent end of web 32 preferably has straight sides, with the width of such connection 35 between its straight sides being substantially equal to the width of the lower part 16 of the opening. If the frame 11 was formed of a rigid metal, the sides of the gripping portion 13 thereof defining the lower part 16 of opening 14 would, in cooperation with the flat sided connection 35 of button 34, exert a secure gripping action on the button, particularly when a stocking is engaged therewith, to avoid inadvertent upward displacement of the button from the bottom of opening 14 into the relatively wide top part 15, and hence the possibility of disengagement from the stocking, when body movements of the wearer relax the load on the garter grip. However, it has been found that, when the frame 11 is formed of a plastic, as in accordance with the present invention, the sides of the gripping portion 13 of the frame being free of each other over the substantial extent of the key-hole shaped opening 14, are relatively flexible outwardly away from each other. Thus, when frame 11 is formed of a plastic, there is inadequate resistance to upward displacement of the button 34 from the bottom of the key-hole shaped opening, and this condition is further aggravated by the low coefficient of friction of the plastic material.

Accordingly, in accordance with this invention, the sides of the gripping portion 13 of the plastic frame 11 are formed with rounded protuberances 36 directed inwardly toward each other to restrict the opening of the lower part 16 into the upper part 15 of the key-hole shaped opening 14 (FIGS. 3 and 4). As particularly shown on FIG. 4, the protuberances 36 are located so as to be disposed immediately above the connection 35 of button 34 when such connection is engaged with the bottom of opening 14. Thus, the protuberances 36 do not result in flexing or stressing of the sides of the gripping portion 13 of the frame when the button 34 is in its lowermost position, as shown on FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. It has been found that stressing of the sides of the frame tends to weaken the resistance of the latter to applied loads. By locating the protuberances 36, as shown on FIG. 4, the sides of the gripping portion 13 of the frame are stressed only when the connection 35 of button 34 is forcibly moved upwardly past the protuberances 36, as during release of the button 34 from the key-hole shaped opening 14.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, it will be seen that a garter grip embodying this invention, and there generally identified by the reference numeral a, may be provided for permanent attachment, by way of an elastic or other loop 22a, to a corset, girdle or other foundation garment. The garter grip 10a has its several parts identified by the same reference numerals employed in connection with the description of the corresponding parts of the garter grip 10, but with the letter a appended thereto. The garter grip 10a generally comprises a palstic frame 11a which is similar to the previously described frame 11, but with the exceptions hereinafter described in detail, and a tab 12a which is identical to the tab 12 of garter grip 10.

The frame 11a differs from the previously described frame 11 only in that its attaching portion 17a has a bar 25a extending across the top thereof and being joined to the remainder of the frame at both of its ends, such bar 25a defining the top edge of the slot 19a. Prior to the stitching of the loop 22a to the lower edge portion of a foundation garment, the elastic or other tape for forming such loop is extended through the slot 19a, as shown on FIG. 5, so that the load applied to the garter grip is transmitted to the suspension loop 22a by way of the bar 25a. The closed slot 19a which receives the loop 22a also receives the upper end portion of the web of tab 12a which, as described above in connection with the garter grip 10, is connected to the frame 11a by engagement with the slots 18a and 19a.

In accordance with the present invention, the sides of the gripping portion 13a of frame 11a have inwardly directed protuberances 36a for preventing inadvertent disengagement of the garter grip from a stocking, in the manner described above with respect to the protuberances 36 of the frame 11.

Although it has been previously proposed to produce the frames of garter grips from plastic materials, it has been found that, as a practical matter, the features of the garter grips embodying this invention, as described above, are essential for the provision of satisfactory garter grips having plastic frames.

Having described specific embodiments of the invention with reference to the drawing, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various changes and modifications may be effected in such embodiments by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention, except as defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A one-piece plastic frame for a garter grip comprising a lower gripping portion defining a keyhole-shaped opening and an upper attaching portion, said attaching portion having a generally laterally directed slot opening only at one side of the frame to form a lateral bar above the slot having a connection to the remainder of the frame only at the other side of the latter and being adapted to be inserted into a loop for removably suspending the garter grip therefrom, said slot being offset laterally toward said one side of the frame with respect to the longitudinal medial line of the frame so that said connection between said bar and said remainder of the frame is relatively wide to resist loads applied thereto, said lateral bar having an arcuate lower edge and a tangent to said arcuate lower edge at the lowest point thereon being inclined downwardly toward said one side of the frame with respect to a perpendicular to said longitudinal medial line of the frame so that, when the garter grip is suspended from a loop into which said bar is inserted, said frame is canted to locate said keyhole-shaped opening below the center of the loop.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,278,727 9/1918 North. 1,545,515 7/1925 Phoel 24245 X 2,006,535 7/ 1935 Broadwell 24245 X 2,212,862 8/ 1940 Hirsh 24245 X 2,463,068 3/ 1949 Tilly 24245 2,745,163 5/ 1956 VanBuren 24246 3,112,750 12/ 1963 Jonas 24200 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,286,910 1/1962 France.

693,995 7/ 1953 Great Britain. 362,998 8/ 1962 Switzerland.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. 

